iAlisa
by cyathula
Summary: Who is Alisa? Not even she knows what or who she really is. Lars finds himself more intrigued by her, and almost more curious about her past than his own. Soon, the journey becomes a discovery for both their identities. AU, loosely based on Scenario Mode.
1. Chapter 1: Mystery

_So there's barely any fics out there about Lars and Alisa, and that makes me sad. I'm a believer that Alisa is probably more human than robot, and that Lars really didn't just fall in love with a tin can. This starts off after they fight Wang Jinrei in Scenario Mode. Keep in mind that it's pretty loosely based on it, and it's not going to follow the rest of that story. I hope you enjoy!  
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_I don't own Tekken... far from it.  
_

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iAlisa

1: Mystery

_Dangerous._

Lars laid his head back against the headrest as he suppressed a sigh. That word had been circulating around in his head like a mosquito. He looked again at the girl in the passenger seat. Beautiful, kind, caring, intelligent. Perfect. A robot.

_Dangerous_.

That was what old man Wang Jinrei had told him. Did he honestly believe that he didn't know that? He wanted to kick himself. She's an android from a lab that worked for the Mishima Zaibatsu, which was the organization the Togo person said he was rebelling against. But she was so sweet, so real, so caring, so natural...

She's a robot, dammit, why did he care? He has lost all his memories, his identity, but... apparently common sense can't be lost, because he was well aware of how stupid he sounded to himself. But... what if she really was more than just a robot?

"Alisa."

The girl turned her face from the window to look at Lars with a look of slight concern. "Yes?"

"They said you are the deceased daughter of Dr. Boskonovitch. Do you know if you were just created to look like her, or do you share much more than that?"

Lars threw in something of a smile, hoping to diffuse the awkwardness he felt asking that question. Alisa looked away from the side window. She didn't look angry, just thoughtful. _Was she really thoughtful or just programmed to look that way?_ Lars thought, but quickly silenced his bitter accusations.

"I am..." Alisa started. "I am Dr. Boskonovitch's daughter. That is what I know. I know I am robotic. I know that many of my actions are results of programming. But I feel... I feel like I am his daughter. I understand that it could just be programmed within me to believe, I can't verify. I don't really know how exactly I was made; that data is not accessible to me. I can access eight-seven percent of the world's online databases, check copious environmental readings, fight intuitively, do countless things, but I'm... I'm sorry, Lars, I don't really know who I am, maybe I am just a robot." Alisa let out a small, frustrated sigh.

Lars was rather stunned. This was the most he'd ever heard her talk that didn't sound like simple listing of data. No robot should be able to think or talk like that... right? Let alone, _feel?_ "Do you think you're more than that?"

Alisa frowned. "When I first activated, I had no knowledge that I could be anything more than something programmed to respond to set environmental cues. But you, however, always treated me like a real person. Asking me questions that are beyond the feasible AI of an android. Now, more and more, I actually find myself thinking and feeling independently of my own accord. I don't know if this was intended. I understand that robots should not have the ability to think existentially, but that is what I have found myself doing lately. It's so strange, isn't it?"

Lars smiled. "You are incredibly human to me, Alisa. Perhaps you are not completely robotic." He gave her hand a brief squeeze. "See? You are warm, too."

"That actually can be answered as part of my mechanical makeup. A machine of this caliber must operate at tremendous speeds. The heat is usually a problem in high-level technology, but my father found a way to dissipate the heat throughout my body and mimic the warmth of a human body."

"I feel like you must be part human, somehow."

"I don't know. I have little data on my creation."

"Do you know if you were made for any specific purpose?"

There was a long pause and Lars looked over at Alisa, who had gone back to looking out the window again. "Alisa?"

"Yes. There appears to be a reason."

"Appears?"

Alisa turned to look at Lars. The look on her face was despondent, and Lars' heart sank. Whatever it was, it was not friendly to him. He should dump her out the car right now. He should—

"I searched for a main objective, but there was none. Strange, I understand that machines are programmed with set parameters and goals. I did find, however, a high priority script that can be activated by the voice of Jin Kazama," Alisa said in a small voice. "I... I don't want to meet him, Lars. I'm afraid of what would happen if I do."

Lars felt a chill go down his spine. He sighed and smiled a crooked smile. "Do you know what it does?"

"I don't know... it is locked and secured. I am to be an aid to him somehow, I'm sure."

"I see, thank you for telling me, Alisa."

Alisa continued to watch him worriedly. "I think... if I stay with you, the probability that I may be forced to hurt you is quite high since Jin Kazama is more likely becoming the end target of the mission you had embarked on. I think... I should leave you."

"No," Lars said automatically, surprising himself.

Alisa looked up, bewildered.

"Well, Alisa, that script you were able to tell me about—it hasn't activated. Perhaps if we can remove it and... whatever other bad stuff you don't want, you will be free to be your own person. That is... if you want that."

"I do, but I fear it may be difficult. Not many people have the knowledge or the technology to be able to do that. Perhaps it is still better that I—"

Lars laughed in spite of himself, shaking his head. He just couldn't bear the thought of letting her go. What was wrong with him? ...it must be the thought of being alone with the stranger that was himself. "No. Even if you leave me, you can still be a threat to me. Jin Kazama can still find you. And what would you do if you leave me now anyway?"

Alisa didn't answer. Lars was feeling rather frustrated now, though more at his weakness than her reticence. "Alisa, if you want to leave, I won't stop you. You are free to do what you want. You know, I think I just want you to stay with me because I'm incredibly selfish. I woke up in that lab chamber without any memory of who I am. I still don't know who I am, but I am extremely thankful that I'm not alone, and with someone so supportive. I can't imagine what being completely alone with amnesia would have been like. If you leave, I will be fine, but I would miss your company very much."

"Selfish... are thoughts or actions that benefit no one but oneself and are often detrimental to others. _I_ am selfish... because I do not want to leave. I want to stay."

Lars exhaled, and felt as if a heavy weight had been lifted off of him. "I owe you a lot, Alisa. I'll find a way to free you of anything you don't want. But... remember, you're your own person, don't let me keep you."

"That is an ironic statement for a robot. Robots are made to serve; a robot's opinion should be impossible."

"So you're saying that statement applies to you, too?"

"I feel very free with you, Lars. My desire to stay is the result of neither a direct nor a indirect command, it is... completely of my own volition." Alisa's eyes widened at the revelation, then turned and smiled at Lars. "The conclusion of all the reasons I have is... I like you very much!"

Lars chuckled, his eyes still focused on the road. "I like you too, Alisa."

Yes, she was dangerous, but she was honest in her innocence. And he loved her for it. He felt like he could say anything to her. She was a unique little girl, fresh and yet unsullied by a cruel world——Lars suddenly felt a sharp pain in his head——_a cruel world... that he was rebelling against._ "Alisa, I think I just remembered something of myself. It's not much, but i just remembered that I was rebelling against something...cruel."

Alisa smiled her warm, tender smile that always made Lars feel at ease. "Based on my original analysis of your clothing from we first met, you were wearing the uniform of a Tekken Force high-level officer. This confirmed Mr. Togo's explanation that you were the missing leader of a large group that broke away from the Tekken Force. It is a likely conclusion that you really were rebelling against the Mishima Zaibatsu."

He really was a rebel of the Tekken Force. When Togo told him that, it felt like he was talking about someone else. Now he felt like he could own some part of that person. Try as he might, he still couldn't remember any details, or feel like he could be their leader. He shook his head, then told her what he thought.

"It is a significant step to regaining your memories, don't be discouraged..."

"Alisa, the lab we found you in was a Mishima Zaibatsu lab. If you knew that I was quite possibly a rebel, then..."

Alisa cocked her head thoughtfully. "It stands to reason that I should be in league with the Mishima Zaibatsu, but I feel no programmed affiliation with that organization. And based on what we have seen on our travels thus far, it is a personal deduction that the suppression of the populace by the Mishima Zaibatsu is heinous and should be stopped."

"Yet another mystery we must uncover about you; huh, Alisa. You sound more like a personal project of Dr. Boskonovitch. You have opinions, values, and a beautiful personality. I'm very tempted to turn this car around and head back to that lab so we can see if can't find any more information on you."

"I believe it is of greater import that you recover the memories lost to you. I am secondary."

Lars chuckled again. "Alisa, you still speak too formally and intelligently. Learn to dumb your sentences down more. Remember, you don't need to talk to me like I'm some sort of king."

"I'm sorry..."

"Nothing to be sorry about. We're here to help each other. There is no need to apologize when you are learning."

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**If you liked the story, please drop me a review/comment! It's like getting a present! Thank you! **


	2. Chapter 2: Curiosity

_Thanks to everyone who have read; and special, special thanks to those who have reviewed!! As a thanks for those reviews, here is chapter 2!_

_I wrote this as kind of an exercise for myself... so it's something of an aside. This is from Alisa's point of view.  
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_Again, I don't own Tekken.  
_

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iAlisa

2: Curiosity

Alisa stood under the stars, as still as the trees around her. Her face angled toward the sky, her eyes fixed upon the infinite splashes of light across the firmament. Beautiful. Breathtaking.

A breeze gently blew across her hair. Cool and refreshing. The air quality was pure and sweet. Sounds of crickets, the occasional owl. The rustling of leaves and a distant howl of a wolf. Peaceful. Harmonious.

She watched and listened. She never moved.

Time passed; five hours, thirty minutes. A mechanical humming started as Alisa lowered her gaze from the stars and the lightening sky. Dawn was thirty minutes away. She turned her body and slowly walked to the black SUV behind her. She had left the passenger door slightly ajar so she could make a soundless re-entry. She didn't want to wake the man sleeping in the lowered driver's seat.

She sighed. Sleep. It seemed so peaceful. The lines on Lars' face have smoothed out. His breathing slow and regular. His chest rising and falling in rhythm. He had removed his armor and changed to a simple button-down shirt and slacks. There is a slight smile on his lips. Different from the visible tension observed in the past few nights. Perhaps the dreams tonight are good. It would be more beneficial not to wake him.

Alisa tucked her legs under her, and molded her left side to the passenger seat that she lowered slightly. She leaned her head against the headrest and watched, mesmerized by the rise and fall of his chest. Without thinking, she raised her right hand and reached over Lars. Suddenly she stopped, confused, her hand hovering over his heart. What was she about to do? An action before command? A momentary blank. Confusion. Could it have been a malicious intent? She shook her head.

It is curiosity about the natural human body, she concluded.

Satisfied with her answer, Alisa tentatively laid her hand on Lars' chest, over where the heart should be. Relaxing a bit, she watched her hand rise and fall with his chest, and listened to the light snores that came with each inspiration. It was peaceful, harmonious. Funny, she thought, that she could so easily approach an obviously seasoned warrior such as him tonight, and not arouse any instinctual alarm. Why is that?

_It is because he trusts you._

No, he was careful and guarded last night. What makes tonight any different? Alisa thought about the conversation they had in the car. It shocked her that someone would make such an irrational decision to keep a possibly dangerous companion. Then again, she was equally irrational for wanting to stay—or was she? Was there a latent malicious program she was made unaware of? She felt troubled, angry... and fearful of herself. What is she, who is she, and why did she know so little about herself? Could she even terminate herself? No, sequence blocked. _He trusts you_. Stupid, stupid human, why would you do such a thing when the robot cannot trust herself?

Worry, anxiety, fear. Turbulent emotions are never programmed to be felt by robotic artificial intelligence; only programmed to be sensed in humans. Turbulence is what she feels right now. Then what is she? She felt so confused, so self-aware. But she knows she's not human.

_He trusts you._

Then she realized something. Lars was right, they must find out more about herself and erase any malicious programming she may harbor. He cannot continue to place such trust in an uncertain companion.

Why should a robot care to protect one not programmed to protect? Alisa sighed. The ability for a robot to question such questions is a large enough mystery. She was more than aware that she was capable of thoughts no documented AI has been noted to be able to do. Such as...

...curiosity.

She moved her hand up to touch his cheek with the tips of her fingers. Very warm. Pleasant.

"Mmmm..." Lars turned his head slightly left toward her. She felt a little alarmed. His breathing had sped up slightly, but all signs indicated he was not awake. Emboldened, she touched his lips with her thumb. Soft, but chapped. His breathing remained unchanged, perhaps the action was not registered.

She cocked her head slightly. Beautiful. She moved her hand slightly right, very lightly cupping Lars' cheek. He reacted by turning his cheek into her hand. A stray lock of sandy brown hair fell across his face as he did so. Alisa didn't want to move her hand. His cheek pressed against her hand. So warm, so soft. With her other hand, she brushed the lock of hair back. She smiled.

Pale, watery gray light fell on Alisa's face. A reminder that dawn was coming. She sighed, but her smile was still there. Finally, she moved her hand down to his shoulder.

"Lars..." she said quietly and shook him lightly with her hand.

"Mmm... hmm..." He was still not awake.

"Lars..." she repeated a few decibels higher. His heartbeat is speeding up, his consciousness is awakening. Far from functioning level, however. "Time to wake up, now..."

"Just a little more..." He mumbled.

"The sun is rising in eleven more minutes. If you do not wake, then I must go watch it myself," Alisa said matter-of-factly. "You said earlier that you would watch with me."

Lars finally opened his eyes and turned his head to look into Alisa's bright green eyes. "I'm sorry... here, I'm getting up." He sat up, then quickly turned his head away as he yawned into his hand. Alisa reached for a bottle of water behind his chair and held it out for him. Muttering a thanks, he took it and swiftly drained it. She took the empty bottle from his hand and put it in a trash bag.

His morning ritual.

"Alright, Alisa, where is this lookout you found?"

"I will show you!" Alisa said brightly, then immediately exited the car, flew to the other side, and opened Lars' door with something of a flourish. Lars chuckled as he got out. "You're not my servant, you know."

"Six minutes until sunrise. I am merely speeding up the process." She held out her hand.

Lars looked confused.

"It will take us around ten minutes to reach the lookout on foot, but less than thirty seconds if we fly."

"You're crazy," Lars said shaking his head and smiling, but he took her hand. She disregarded his head-shake and reached around his waist with her other arm, holding him securely. She calculated Lars' weight automatically and fired her boosters with the appropriate amount of power.

Lars seemed visibly alarmed when they left the ground. Humans don't travel this way, so this must be something of a shock. She looked for signs of unhappiness on his face, but decided it was more an expression of awe.

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_Let me know what you guys think! Thanks, again!_


	3. Chapter 3: Darkness

_Thank you everyone for your wonderful reviews! Each of your reviews gave me energy to write this chapter, and Reviewer's review today finally got me to the finish-and-publish point!  
_

_Hope you guys enjoy this chapter; it's from Lars' POV now.=D_

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iAlisa

3 Lars: Darkness

The sun had already disappeared below the trees in the distance, illuminating the clouds in red and orange hues. Lars sat in the passenger seat, eyes closed but not asleep. Alisa had finally convinced him to let her drive after he found himself nodding off briefly at the wheel. She'd offered a few times earlier, but he always declined due to her having never driven a car before. Each time he said no, she went quiet and after a while, she would announce that she'd just finished studying another driving course online. Lars had seen her fight before, but while she had the skills, he could see the timing and instincts gained from experience weren't there yet. He supposed her driving would be a pretty similar case... and he found he wasn't far from wrong when he finally let her test drive. It was an awkward affair since he had to stop himself from showing her the basics and constantly remind himself that the knowledge was already in her head. The first half an hour had been relatively uneventful, but he hadn't been comfortable enough to fall asleep yet.

"You cannot sleep?"

Lars opened his eyes wearily. No use pretending anymore. "I'm afraid not."

"I don't understand. You had trouble staying awake when you were driving."

"I can't say I understand it, either, Alisa," Lars said, sighing. The road they were on was small and little used. For a first time driver, there really wasn't much to be worried about. She'd even turned on the headlights, he noticed, pleasantly surprised. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine. I have no fear of drowsiness at the wheel. I really should be the one driving all the time!"

Lars chuckled. "True, you would be the perfect driver for a road trip. Have you met any other cars on the road, yet?"

"An old truck heading the opposite direction passed by not a few minutes ago, but otherwise it has been clear. We should reach the woodlands in one hour thirty-seven minutes. Then, we will have to go by foot to find the laboratory."

They were heading back to the laboratory where it all started.

After watching the sunrise this morning, Alisa had declared that she was too dangerous to accompany him without knowing anything about herself. Lars had no objection to the change in plans since he had been curious as well. Not to mention, when he and Togo last met, he had already given him the clue to his past: Heihachi Mishima.

It wasn't a pleasant feeling... that name. Based on Alisa's data on him, Heihachi Mishima had been the iron-fisted leader of the Mishima Zaibatsu for over forty years. He was a cruel man who usurped the company from his own father; had a son who hated him so much he has tried to kill him time and time again; had a grandson who was hurt so badly by him that he is also trying to kill him; and also had... and had... and what else?!

Lars banged his head against the car window sill.

"What is on your mind?" Alisa asked, looking alarmed. "You look unhappy."

"Oh, I was thinking about Heihachi Mishima, again... Even with the background check you gave me of him, there's something else I _know_ I know about him that I just can't remember. Something vital. Some kind of personal issue, I guess. Maybe he destroyed my life like everyone else, and—like everyone else—I'm out to get revenge on him," Lars said with a mirthless laugh. "But it's more than that, I know it."

"Lars, you were captain of the Tekken Force. Though all information regarding you were manually deleted from the database, it stands to reason that you must have served the Mishima Zaibatsu for at least a decade. Data on others in the Tekken Force reveal that they all had joined at an early age in order to rise to their current position. Heihachi Mishima lost control of the company only twice briefly within the last five years. In the time you have been captain, you never rebelled until Jin Kazama had come to power and Heihachi Mishima had disappeared."

Lars let out an frustrated sigh. "Well, Alisa, I just don't know. I don't know why I would still be searching for Heihachi Mishima if I had worked for him most of my life. Togo said I never talked about my past, except that I had some beef with the old man. But I still think that if I do find him, it might help."

"'Beef?'"

"It's another way to say I have a grudge against him."

"I see. Perhaps if you met Jin Kazama, that might be more of an emotional jolt?"

"Sure, maybe... I'll meet him, too... why not? But, they can all wait 'til after we find out more about you."

Lars didn't know when he had finally drifted off to sleep, but however long it was it didn't feel long enough when Alisa had shaken him awake. It was now dark, and they were parked on the side of a poorly paved road. The forest was like a black hole: eerie and dense. The air was filled with the screeching of insects. "Not the best planning...arriving here at night."

"I can switch to night-vision, it is no problem. Now that we are here, I am confident that I know the way back to the labs. I will lead you."

Lars smiled faintly as he shook his head. "You need to throw in more contractions, Alisa. Remember, humans don't really talk like they have a sti—well, like that."

Alisa cocked her head slightly at the odd cover-up. "I understand, I'll make a more concerted effort to use contractions more. C'mon, let's go!"

Lars chuckled and shook his head again, took her outstretched hand. What little light was left in the sky quickly vanished as they made their way deep into the forest. From what Lars could tell, they were forging through the forest undergrowth since leaves constantly whipped him in the face. After a while, they stumbled onto a small, barely visible path. He looked up at thinner canopy of the trees above him and could barely make out the moonless, starlit sky.

"Oh!" Alisa gasped. "I detect signs of human activity ahead... That's odd, I would think the lab would've been long abandoned."

"I just hope they aren't stealing any data on you."

"We must proceed with—" Alisa paused for a split second. "We'll need to be careful."

"Nice, you'll be speaking like a dumb human soon enough," Lars said, patting her on the back. "I see a hulking black shape ahead that doesn't look very natural, is that the lab?"

"Yes, we should reach a side entrance in about ten minutes."

As they proceeded cautiously along the path, the screeching of the crickets died away. Lars became aware of an almost oppressive silence that fell upon the area. From the looks of the mess of twisted wiring and broken concrete, most of the lab had fallen victim to some intense bombing. Only the ghostly shell of the structure stood, and they approached the only wall still standing. Somehow... he really didn't remember the lab being in this bad of a shape... but then again, he didn't have much of a memory to rely on. "You think your records might've survived that?"

"The majority of the lab lies underground," Alisa replied. She stopped walking suddenly, motioning for Lars to do the same, and ran behind a nearby bush. There was a second of silence before the sound of a rusted door banged open. He heard a woman talking. Based on the brief pauses, he realized she was talking on the phone. A minute later, the sounds of helicopter blades could be heard and the area was besieged by bright light and violent winds. Lars did his best to merge with the thick bush and hide away from harsh glare. He looked over at Alisa, who crouched unnaturally still. She didn't seem so concerned, and swiftly got to her feet when the lights and the sounds faded away.

"That was Nina Williams, spy and bodyguard for Jin Kazama," Alisa announced, as she made her way to the rusted door that was now hanging on one hinge.

"Were you able to hear what she said?"

"She said she got what he needed and was returning with the 'disc.'"

"'Disc?'" Lars echoed, momentarily distracted by a strange, resigned look on her face.

"I don't know..." Alisa looked into the black hole beyond the door, and skipped off into the darkness. When she came back, Lars made out the outline of a large emergency flashlight in her hands. "Look what I found! There was an emergency closet nearby."

"Alisa," Lars said slowly, as he took the heavy flashlight from her. "What else did she say?"

"That his 'pet' had disappeared."

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_Please remember to click the REVIEW CHAPTER button and let me know what you think! Even a couple words will make me, Alisa, and Lars verrrrrry happy!  
_


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